Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have confirmed that their decision to leave the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is irreversible, two days before the organisation holds a summit to try to persuade the three countries to change their minds.

After a ministerial meeting in Niamey, the three countries said: ‘Recalling the irreversible decision of the Confederation to withdraw from ECOWAS, the ministers undertake to continue discussions with a view to agreeing on the modalities of withdrawal in the interest of the peoples of the Confederation’, arguing that ECOWAS is being used as a tool by European countries.

ECOWAS will hold a summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja tomorrow (Sunday) to discuss this sensitive issue, but no delegation from the Sahel alliance has yet been announced.